Peter Sagan's Cannondale contract expires at the end of 2014 and the Slovakian will be the hot topic on the transfer market in the coming year. He reveals that he has received a contract offer from the new Fernando Alonso team but says that the Spanish team is only one of several squads to have shown interest in his talents.
Peter Sagan may have failed to win a monument in 2013 but with 22 victories, a second consecutive green jersey in the Tour de France and several wins in big WorldTour races, the Slovakian is clearly one of the most valuable riders in the peloton. At just 23 years of age, the Slovakian even has plenty of room for improvement and there seems to be almost no limit on his potential.
Of course, this makes Sagan a very attractive investment for every ambitious cycling team and at the end of the 2014 season, the team managers will get the chance to get talented Slovakian on their roster. Having been with the Cannondale/Liquigas team since turning professional in 2010, Sagan will see his current contract come to the end in a year from now.
His team know that their star rider is courted by several teams and even decided to keep its Italian license in 2014 to maintain his services. After Cannondale took over the ownership of the team, the management was keen to change its registration to become an American squad but that would mean that Sagan was free to sign for another team. They are actively seeking extra funding to keep him in 2015 and beyond.
Sagan has been linked with the new Fernando Alonso team after visiting a racing circuit with the F1 star. Alonso has made it clear that he will only try to sign riders who have no contract which makes Sagan one of the few possible star riders for the Spaniard.
In an interview with Pravda, Sagan admits that he has received an offer from Alonso but that several other teams have also shown their interest.
“Not only from him [Alonso],” he said. “I have several offers, even from Dukla Trencin [a Slovakian continental team.]
“I am still contracted for a year. Everything is open and we'll discuss it. I'm not saying that I will go, maybe I'll stay. I'll see how it develops.”
Sagan admits that he has a special relationship with his current team.
"I grew up with them and now start my fifth season," he said. "My relationships with my teammates have not changed. We know each other well and are like a family, especially those who were with me from the beginning."
In 2014, Sagan's main objectives will be to finally win a monument and to defend his green jersey in the Tour de France. To reach the first objective, he has decided to focus on the Milan-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders and - for the first time since 2011 - Paris-Roubaix.
While he will be the major favourite in Sanremo - even with its altered parcours - he will have to overcome the mighty Fabian Cancellara in the cobbled races. The pair have had a tainted relationship, with Cancellara publicly criticizing Sagan.
Recently, Cancellara said that Sagan would be under more pressure in 2014 but Sagan was quick to refuse the claim, stating that the rider to bear the burden of expectations was Cancellara himself. In the Pravda interview, Sagan played down the talks.
"First of all I have to focus on myself, before I look at others," he said. "I am not ignorant of others, but they have their own lives."
In 2013, Sagan won more races than any other rider, raising his arms 3 more times than Mark Cavendish. However, it is more about the quality than the quantity of his wins in 2014.
“For me, it's not important to win 23 or 25 times, I would rather have quality wins,” he said. “I would like to win in one of the most prestigious races, Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. If I could win one of them it would be enough, but maybe I can win two or three of them.”
In 2013 Sagan was 2nd in both Sanremo and Flanders. While he was beaten by a stronger Cancellara in the latter race, it came as a huge surprise that he was beaten by Gerald Ciolek in the sprint in the former race.
Sagan admits that he should have won the race and describes the race which was held in icy conditions and saw the rider being transported in buses over the Turchino Pass, as the toughest of his career.
“I screwed Milan-San Remo up. I lost that one myself," he said. "It was definitely the worst conditions I've had. But even in races like that I try to remain positive. [On the bus transfer] My leg was red with the cold and a couldn't move my ankle, but I knew that it would pass. The conditions were the same for everyone, so I couldn't complain. I do not think I'm the best, I still have a lot to learn to become better.”
Sagan will start his season in the Tour de San Luis in January.
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